Dr. Thomas presented this information on December 7th, 2012 for DAIReXNET's webinar on Feeding Systems for Group-Housed Dairy Calves

1. Grouped-Housed Feeding Systems
How To Get It Right!
DAIReXNET Webinar
12/7/2012
Mark Thomas, DVM, DABVP-Dairy
Countryside Veterinary Clinic, LLP
Dairy Health & Management Services, LLC
315-376-6563
mthomas@countryside-vet.net
mthomas@dairyhealthmanagement.com

2. Outline
• Benefits of optimal nutrition & growth
• Practical systems for ad-lib feeding
• Acidified, ad-lib feeding systems
• Research summaries
• Practical aspects of feeding acidified milk
• Summary

3. Poll: How do you currently feed
calves?
• Twice daily
• Three times daily
• Automated feeder
• Ad-lib acidified

4. Poll: What do you feed calves?
• Pasteurized whole milk
• Unpasteurized whole milk
• Milk replacer

5. Poll: Do you weigh calves and track
average daily gain?
• Yes
• No

6. High (HPN) vs. Conventional (CN) Plane of Nutrition
HPN
CN
Nydam, 2011

7. Average Daily Gain
0.6
0.4
ADG (kg/d)
0.2
P<0.001
0
-0.2
-0.4
HPN CN

8. Conclusions
 High plane of nutrition (HPN) reduces the
effect of disease due to Cryptosporidium
parvum in neonatal dairy calves.
 HPN improves ADG and feed efficiency.

9. What about future milk production?
• Miner Institute, Chazy, NY
• 1.25 v. 2.2 lb of MR powder per day
• Cows which were fed 2.2lb/d as calves produced
+1,543 lbs 1st lactation
– JDS, 2005

10. Cornell T&R Herd- Mike VanAmburgh
• 1998, started feeding for 2lb ADG
• >1000 weaning weights
• >725 1st lactations
• Any relationship between calf performance and
1st lactation performance?

11. Cornell T&R Herd- Mike VanAmburgh
• Range in ADG to weaning: 0.52 to 2.67 lb/d
Milk yield increased by 900 lb (1st lactation) for
every 1lb gain above 0.5lb/d

12. Summary of Data:
Doubling birth weight w/ liquid feed by weaning
Study Response (kg)
Bar-Peled et al., ’98 +452
Foldager and Krohn, ’94 1,403
Foldager et al., ’97 519
Miner Inst., ’05 700
MSU ’06 500
Drackley et al., ’07 836
U. Minn ’08 998
Cornell U., ’09 792
Average Response +840

13. Summary of Early Nutrition Effects
• Nutrient intake early in life impacts lactation performance
• All data is positive or neutral – no negative effects
• Mechanisms are not completely understood
• Bottom Line: There is future milk in early life colostrum
and nutritional management!

14. Group Housing Facilities
• New designs
• Remodeled facilities
• Outdoors

15. Group Housing Challenges
• Ventilation
• Bedding
• Space availability
• Feeding systems

16. Group Housing & Feeding
How do we deliver milk?
• Gang feeders
• Automated feeders
• Ad-lib acidified

17. Gang Feeders
• Inexpensive
• Hygiene issues
• Not ad-lib

18. Automatic Feeders
• Computerized-data
• Greater investment
• Maintenance
• Not always ad-lib

22. Acidified Ad-lib Systems
• Basic or
sophisticated.
• Milk replacer
• Whole milk
(pasteurized or not)
• Chemical
pasteurization (acid)

23. Citric
Formic
Courtesy of Neil Anderson

24. Social aspects?

25. Group housing & feeding
Source: N. Anderson

26. Group housing & ad-lib feeding

27. Group housing & ad-lib feeding
A seasonal set-up for acidified whole milk

28. Group housing & ad-lib feeding
Facility designed for grouped housing

29. High Line System

30. Midline System

31. Weaning System

33. Ad-lib & Group Housing
Research Summaries
Mark J. Thomas, DVM, DABVP-Dairy
Countryside Veterinary Clinic, LLP
Lowville, NY
mthomascow@hughes.net
Frans Vokey, MS, PAS
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County
Daryl V. Nydam, DVM, PhD
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

34. Overview
• Late spring/summer 2011
• Three collaborating dairy farms (Lewis &
Jefferson Counties)
• Objectives:
1. Group vs. individual housing with ad-lib
feeding.
2. Citric vs. formic acid as a preservative for
milk replacer.

35. Group vs. Individual
• Pasteurized/formic acid acidified whole milk
• Ad-lib feeding
• Group housing (8 calves/pen, 3 nipples/pen)
• Individual housing (clusters of 8- 4x8 pens
with solid sides, 1 nipple/calf)
• Alternating group and individual pen clusters
within same barn.

38. Group vs. Individual Pens
Group (n=40) Individual (n=32) p-value
ADG (lbs.) @ 50 1.51a 1.32b 0.01
days
Serum Total Protein 5.9a 5.8a 0.61
Birth weight (lbs.) 88.3a 89.4a 0.66

39. Disease Events
Event Group (n=40) Individual (n=32)
Scours 0 0
Pneumonia 1 0
Other 0 0
Total disease events 1 0

40. Conclusions
• No apparent detrimental effects of group
housing as compared to individual pens
given similar nutrition.
• Disease events (scours, pneumonia) were
negligible throughout study (1 case of
pneumonia).

41. Citric vs. Formic Acid
• 24/17 Citric acid acidified (commercial)
milk replacer vs. 24/17 milk replacer
acidified (on-farm) with formic acid.
• pH of 4.2 (Some issues with product pH
for ~2 weeks)
• Two facilities.
• Identical feeding management within each
farm.

43. pH is Important!
• A two week period of high milk pH (~5)
had significant effects on disease
incidence and weight gain.
• Important to consider this issue in
regards to data analysis and
conclusions.

44. Citric vs. Formic Acid
Citric acid (n=38) Formic acid p-value
(n=35)
ADG (lbs.) @ 40 0.92a 1.14b 0.03
days
Serum Total 5.54a 5.39a 0.29
Protein
Birth weight (lbs.) 88a 95b 0.01

45. Disease Events
Event Citric acid (n=43) Formic acid (n=36)
Scours 3 (7%) 0 (0%)
Pneumonia 7 (16.6%) 4 (11%)
Other 4 (9.5%) 0 (0%)
Death 5 (11.6%) 0 (0%)
Total disease/death events 19 (39.6%) 5 (13.8%)

46. Conclusions
• Statistically higher ADG in formic vs. citric
groups.
• Subjectively, no apparent negative effects
of citric vs. formic acid for the acidification
of milk replacer. (Currently in wide use)
• Two week period of high pH and
following disease make data analysis
difficult for citric group.

47. How to acidify?
Formic vs. Citric (others?)

48. Formic Acid 85%
must be diluted before use
Not approved in the USA

49. …dilute the acid
• safe handling
• ease of mixing
1 L into 9 L = 10 L dilute acid
Dr. Neil Anderson, OMAFRA December, 2011

50. …add dilute formic acid to milk
~30 ml (1 oz) of dilute acid to 1L
whole milk or milk replacer
Important Points:
1. Aggressive agitation
2. Temperature (<75oF)
3. Rate of acid addition to milk (slow!)

51. pH Goal= 4.0-4.2

52. Aggressive
agitation

53. Feeding Temperature is very
important!
• At least 75 degrees F
• Preference of 90+ degrees
• How do we keep it warm?

58. What
about
intersuckling?

59. Keys to Success
1. Stocking density- at least 30 sq ft (3 m2) lying area per
calf. Dry, dry bedding.
2. Excellent ventilation using positive pressure ventilation
tubes. Most barns just don’t have it right! Be
aggressive. Remember air exchanges/hour.
3. True ad-lib (don’t limit intakes)
4. Age range- try and fill a pen in 7-10 days.
5. Cold milk (<75F) really discourages intakes. Cold milk
(<75F) really discourages intakes. Offer milk at 85-90+
degrees F.

60. Keys to Success
6. Proper pH is very important. Ideal range=4.0-4.2. Too
low discourages intakes, too high allows for bacterial
growth.
7. Maintain consistent total solids. Monitor with Brix
refractometer.
8. Acidify cool milk (<75 degrees) to prevent curdling. Add
diluted acid slowly while agitating.
9. Concentrated acid is dangerous! Be careful.

61. Questions?